Volume One, Chapter 28: Don’t Go Out of Your Way to Humiliate Yourself!

The colorful beams of light made her dizzy and blurred her vision. The pounding bass notes crashed against her chest like a relentless drum. When her wrist was seized, Sang Wan instinctively shook it off. Looking back, she found herself facing Lu Jinnian’s smiling face.

With just one glance, Sang Wan could see the desire burning in his eyes—just as it had every time he came home drunk in the past.

“Lu Jinnian, did you run out of inventory after your trip to the restroom?” Sang Wan took a step back. “There’s something called a mirror. The effect is much better!”

Lu Jinnian’s expression darkened slightly. But then he reconsidered—these days they’d been at odds, and now she’d chased him all the way here. Wasn’t that offering him an olive branch? If he didn’t take the hint, he’d really be insufferable.

He decided to give her this face-saving gesture. “Alright, I won’t say anything more...” He grabbed her wrist again and pulled Sang Wan out of the hall.

They had barely reached the corridor when he spun her against the wall. “Wanwan, I know you’re shy. It hasn’t been easy for you to come this far. Your husband appreciates it!”

“How about we both take a step back?” Behind them, the driving rhythm of the music seemed to surge into his veins, making his blood race. He wanted nothing more than to hold Sang Wan tightly and lose himself in the beat, crashing into her again and again.

Her pale, beautiful, and cold face was right before his eyes. For a moment, Lu Jinnian was transported back to when he first pursued Sang Wan—when she’d been so aloof, barely responding to his advances. How icy she had been at first, and yet, once thawed, how deeply affectionate she became.

He had conquered her once. This time would be no different!

“Wanwan...” Lu Jinnian lowered his head to kiss her, already envisioning her melting softly in his arms. He was even considering where to take her next. There were people in the private rooms. The hotel would take too long. Perhaps...the car?

Bam!

Sang Wan shoved him away with all her strength. He stumbled back, colliding with the opposite wall. Every last trace of his fevered fantasy shattered to pieces.

Snapping back to reality, Lu Jinnian saw only disgust on Sang Wan’s face. The look in her eyes was as if she’d seen something filthy.

“Always rutting like an animal, Lu Jinnian, what’s the difference between you and a beast? You’re truly disgusting!”

Sang Wan turned and walked away. Her sharp eyes spotted Xu Yiyi perched on a barstool, craning her neck like a giraffe, her face wearing a gentle smile that barely concealed her impatience.

Sang Wan strode forward. “Yiyi, let’s go.”

Xu Yiyi visibly relaxed.

“Handsome, the bill please!” Pulling out her phone to pay, Xu Yiyi smiled at the man across from her. “Mr. Zhao, this drink’s on me tonight. My friend’s here, so I’ll be going.”

“It’s still early...” Mr. Zhao glanced at his watch, eager to stop her. Noticing Sang Wan, his eyes lit up. “You’re Ms. Xu’s friend? Perfect timing! Let me buy you ladies a drink. Miss, what should I call you? What do you like to drink?”

He offered his barstool to Sang Wan and reached out to take her arm. Before he could touch her, his collar was yanked back violently.

Bang! A fist landed squarely on his right cheek. Caught off guard, Mr. Zhao toppled heavily, knocking over the stool and sending bottles and glasses crashing from the bar.

As screams erupted, chaos swept through the bar.

Xu Yiyi stared, dumbfounded. “What the hell’s gotten into that bastard?”

Sang Wan dragged her out without looking back. “Who cares?”

Just one door away, Lu Jinnian, unsatisfied with just one punch, hauled Mr. Zhao up by the collar and hit him again.

Sang Wan shoved Xu Yiyi into the back seat of a taxi and quickly climbed in herself. The taxi melted into the stream of traffic, soon leaving the bar district behind and passing a police car coming from the opposite direction.

“Woo-woo...” As the police car screeched to a halt outside the bar, a crowd surged to watch the commotion.

At the bar, Lou Ye frowned. “What’s going on?”

“A fight at the bar next door!” The bartender scrolled through his phone, grinning. “Two men fighting over a woman. Tsk tsk, what a disgrace... But, that girl’s a catch!”

In the gloomy footage, a fuchsia beam of light fell across a woman with long, flowing hair. With just one look, Lou Ye was transfixed. He took the phone from the bartender.

It was the property and fire safety group chat for the bar district. In mere moments, there were already hundreds of messages—photos, short videos.

One photo was so striking and romantic it looked like a poster from a TV drama: the male and female leads pressed intimately together, the man lowering his head to kiss her flawless, swan-like neck. The short videos showed much the same: a bespectacled man reaching to pull Sang Wan over, Sang Wan dodging him, and then Lu Jinnian’s fist flying.

Bang!

Lou Ye tossed the phone back on the table and walked out, his face shadowed and cold in the dim light.

A voice dripping with mischief whispered, “They’re married, you know. Doesn't matter if the lights are dim or if it’s in public. They have a license on the wall!”

Another voice roared in frustration, “Lou Ye, who the hell do you think you are? Stop humiliating yourself!”

His chest heaved with growing heat, as if flames were licking inside him.

Bang! The car door slammed shut, bringing sudden silence. Lou Ye didn’t even know why he was so angry.

Beep. Beep beep.

He didn’t even know how the call went through. Before he could hang up, a clear voice answered, “Hello?”

“Senior...” Lou Ye’s voice tightened, his mind briefly in disarray. “Where are you?”

“I’m at home,” came the reply, serene and still.

He could hear her calm breathing, so quiet the silence was absolute, utterly different from the noisy chaos outside the car window and the bar courtyard beyond.

“Did you lose 2S again?” Sang Wan asked softly. “Look in the media room upstairs—he’s probably curled up by the massage chair.”

“Alright.” Lou Ye nodded, feeling the anger in his chest slowly ebb away, then snuff out entirely.

“Did you find him?”

“Yes. Found him.” In the hush of the car, Lou Ye replied.

“Good,” Sang Wan sighed in relief. “Lou Ye, when you’re not home during the day, keep the media room door closed. It’s so dark and quiet in there—the perfect place for a cat to hide and sleep. If you keep it shut, there’ll be fewer hiding spots, and he’ll be easier to find.”

“Okay.”

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now?”

“Alright.”

As the beep of the ended call faded, Lou Ye glanced at the departing police car. He dialed another number. “How many shares of Lu’s Corporation did you buy as instructed?... Not enough. Buy another ten million shares.”

After Sang Wan hung up, Xu Yiyi’s face was full of teasing. “Anyone who knows you two would think you’re just caring for a cat. Anyone who doesn’t might think you’ve secretly had a child together.”

“What do you mean, ‘we’?” Sang Wan’s ears reddened as she glared. “It’s my cat, just staying at his place for a few days. I’m planning to bring him back tomorrow.”

“You sure about that?” Xu Yiyi stretched out her hand with a wicked grin. “Bet you fifty cents you can’t bring him home!”

“Then you’re bound to lose!” Sang Wan declared confidently.

Just then, her phone began to ring.

The police officer on the other end spoke with utmost seriousness, “Hello, are you Lu Jinnian’s wife? This is the Dongcheng Police Station. Please come promptly to pay the fine and bail him out.”